Born of Darkness
by SleepyButt
Summary: Short Story/Lloyd, the Chosen Undead, travels to a time far before his own to save a world enveloped in a a cloud of darkness. Alternate Universe sort of.


**This was part of a creative writing project for my English class. It's extremely rough and the ending it rushed, but hope it's still enjoyable c:**

In his dreams, he saw a land from a time long before his own. A great evil lurked over it all, and a sense of doom hung over it all. Over the rocky crags, the rushing rivers, and the whispering woods that surrounded the area. Lloyd awoke from his restless sleepy, shortly after this unknown vision, cold sweat that gave him an overall uneasy feeling. He lay next to the bonfire, the embers playfully dancing in the wind, but never seeming to show signs of fading. Lloyd's eyes fixated on the flames, knowing that soon, daylight would break, and his journey would begin again. Even so, it seemed there would be little respite for this unfortunate soul. All that would follow him in the coming days would be tragedy and failure. For that was his curse; the curse of the undead.

Lloyd ventured out into the dense woods, heading to no real destination in particular. His purpose was to end the cure, but even such a noble goal was largely out of his reach. He hadn't the slightest clue as to where to begin, but Lloyd believed he would reach it soon enough. As he journeyed deep into the Darkroot Gardens, he came across a closed basin. It was small, almost similar in comparison to a large pond, although it was not as shallow. The further you got from the shore, the deeper it became. Lloyd made his way towards the water's edge, taking note of the flowers that lined the shore. As he approached the flowers, the flower petals would spread out, removing themselves from the center. In the center of the flower was a bulb that glowed a bright blue. They were beautiful, but Lloyd had no time to sit around and look at the flowers.

He brought his attention up towards a cliff that towered over the basin. Water fell from a river above and created a waterfall which led into the basin. It was the reason the basin was continually filled with water, but the question was why it never overflowed. Judging by the amount of water that fell into it, the surrounding area should have been covered in water, yet it was dry and untouched. Further out, a small grotto curved into the rock. It was natural, not showing any sign of having been made by men. That was his destination; he didn't know why or what lay hidden in there, but he had a feeling that it was where he was meant to go. Lloyd walked around the edge of the water till he made his way towards the rock wall towards his left. A small path made of rock led deeper into the grotto, and to avoid getting wet, he used it to venture deeper in.

The darkness soon began to envelop him, and the only source of light was the tiny glimpses of the outside, the roars of the waterfall fading slowly into the background. He reached for his torch, lighting the end up with flint. Sparks flew from the stone and soon a flame was born. It sprung up and danced suddenly as a cold wind rushed in from the back of the grotto. Lloyd was becoming more anxious with every passing second, but continued forward. This was part of his plan, and whether he knew what that plan was or not, he needed to follow it through.

It wasn't long till he reached the end. All there was was a rock wall that either blocked his path or meant the end of his journey into the grotto. He was slightly aggravated that his efforts bore him no progression, but as his hope dimmed away, the cold, rushing wind returned again and nearly extinguished his torch. "Where does this wind come from", Lloyd questioned inwardly to himself. But, as if to answer his questions, a light appeared in front of him, blinding him. He rushed to covers his eyes, dropping the torch into the water under him. "Fate hath brought you here, oh Chosen Undead." A voice spoke up, but no one was present. Not long after the voice, tendrils sprang out from the light and wrapped around Lloyd. A sense of fear took over his mind, but before he could retaliate, he was swallowed into the light.

"O Chosen Undead, will you be our benediction? Have you come to guide our Queen to the light?" Lloyd rustled on the ground, awaking slightly from his sleep. He soon regained consciousness and his eyes opened the view of a dark and cloudy sky above him. He slowly rose up off the ground, pushing himself up to his feet and looking around. He checked himself, making sure everything was intact. His armor was still in good shape, minus the dirt, and his sword and shield were still in place. The only thing missing was his torch, but there were more important thing right now then a torch. Such as finding out where he was.

The woods reminded him very much of Darkroot Garden, but the sky was much different. There was no moon or stars, just a never ending void, with dark clouds hovering over the land. The trees were gnarled; their roots sprung up from the ground, and twisted around the trunk of their tree. A thick fog permeated the woods, filling the air with a foul stench that smelled of decay and rot. Screams of great pain and turmoil that shook Lloyd to his core rang in his ear like the sound of a million angry bees buzzing in his head. He still felt a familiarity with the land, and it wasn't until the voice came back that he realized where he was. "O Chosen Undead, we have guided you to this time, a time far before your own. This is the Darkroot Garden, but not as you know it. This, this is what was to become of this land, hand it not been for you."

This was the land in his vision. It all came back to him as he walked through the woods, crossing every piece that he could recall. "Long ago, a great evil took control of the land. He succeeded and kidnapped the Princess Dusk. A knight by the name of Artorias attempted to rescue the Princess and defeat the Dark One, but a lass, he failed, and succumbed to the darkness. Many undead before you fought bravely, but they were not meant to succeed. You however, you will be the one to defeat the Queen, and save this dying land." Lloyd did not question the voice, for if this was his fate, he would follow completely. "In the forest, near the old tower ruins, you will find a passage that will lead you towards the Queen. We ask of you this one boon, release her from this world, and free us."

Lloyd did as he was instructed, and made his way towards the ruins. The woods were filled with disfigured tree men and broken stone guards. They blocked his way, but Lloyd struck down every last one of them. "The inhabitants of this land, their souls have been twisted by the Abyss, turning them mad. They see outsiders as enemies, and even though the Queen has forsaken them, they still guard her, till the end." The voice continued to speak at sporadic moments to Lloyd. She invaded his thoughts and filled it with her words. She became his guide, and showed him the path. "Jezebel is her name. Jezebel, The Vindictive Queen. She turned her back on her king and killed him. Shortly after, she took the throne. No one truly knows of her origins, but it has been said that she is a beautiful woman. Such a woman, to hold that much hatred in her heart, it has left us wondering whom she really was."

Lloyd soon found himself within a deep and dark cave, surrounded by the Abyss at every corner. His only guide was the light that brought him here. It guided the way towards the inner sanctum, leading Lloyd further and further into the darkness. "We are nearing the end. The bottom of the Abyss is where Jezebel wallows in her malice. Once you are there, I will no longer be able to follow you. The dark fog that envelops the Queen is too great of a burden for us to bear. But, I will lend you a gift, something that will become invulnerable in the battle yet to come." The light shone brightly and from it, a small silver locket appeared. "Wear this locket, and our magic will protect you, helping to brighten the way, and bring you hope." Lloyd placed the locket around his neck and looked down into the distance. The ground below him rumbled and shook, and a dark fog rose up from the darkness. "She is here." Lloyd saw the darkness take him over, feeling something grab him and pull him downward into the darkness.

As he fell into the Abyss, a wicked laughter was heard. He landed at the bottom, turning in place, seeking for the source. Soon, a dark, shadowy figure appeared before him. "O Chosen Undead, your time has come." Lloyd drew his sword and shield and swung at Jezebel, whom faded into the darkness. The fight was long and arduous, and Lloyd swung at every possible chance he was given. "You seek to end me, but do you really think an Undead, such as yourself could best me?" Jezebel conjured orbs of darkness, casting them towards Lloyd. As they came close, the locket beamed with light, and erected a barrier around him. The orbs reflected off the barrier and headed back for Jezebel. One struck her down, and she was staggered. "Now", he thought, and he rushed forward and trusted his blade forward. Jezebel looked up and before she could react, the blade drove deep into her chest.

She stood there, feeling a coldness she had never felt before. Looking down, the blade sunk deep into her, and without knowing, it went straight through her. Lloyd looked into Jezebel's eyes for a brief second, seeing a fear that she must have never felt before. Her lips parted and a small voice resonated from her. "I-I have been miss led. W-What have I become?" Lloyd pulled the blade out from the Queen's chest, and she collapsed to the floor, a small pool of blood forming around her pale body. "Dear Elizabeth, please, forgive me." Her eyes slowly closed and her head fell back. As she breathed her last breath, her lips formed a small smile. Lloyd looked down on the body of the Queen and felt sorrowful for her. How is a woman led to such a life of pain and misery such as her own?

"The Soul of Jezebel, The Vindictive Queen. A soul once good, tainted by the abyss. She was truly, the first born of the Darkness. You have done well, O Chosen Undead. Because of you, this land will return to how it was meant to be. And you may return to your own land. Thank you for doing us this favor and we hope to one day repay you." Lloyd walked away from the body, a light soon appearing in front of him and enveloping him, shortly disappearing afterward and leaving only the darkness of the Abyss behind.


End file.
